Simon Grayson had eyes only on a Premier League return when he took charge at Elland Road 18 months ago but the Leeds manager is well aware that marching straight through the Championship is going to take some doing.

Once-mighty Leeds, promoted in May after three years slumming it in League One, are being talked up again but Grayson is keen to play down expectations - even after Saturday’s impressive 3-1 win over Wolves.

Going up? Simon Grayson is struggling for options up front as the Elland Road club attempt a return to the top flight

‘Like every other club in the division, you have to have the expectancy of trying to get up,’ he said.

‘But it’s a tough division and there are some tough teams who’ve been among the play-offs for the last few years. We want to do that.

‘I believe there are probably 12-15 teams - maybe more - who think they can get into the play-offs, all with similar budgets and types of players. Some good players, average ones and exceptional ones and it’s all about who is consistent and does the right things more than not.’

Missing link: Jermaine Beckford now of Everton bagged 31 goals as Leeds secured promotion last season

It is six years since Leeds crashed out of the Premier League and while Grayson wants to lead them back to the promised land, the pressing concern is who takes over from Jermaine Beckford.

Replacing Beckford, whose 31 goals last season earned him a free transfer to Everton, was always going to be Grayson’s primary summer task.

And it has been made harder by injuries to frontman Billy Paynter, signed from Swindon, and winger Robert Snodgrass, a potential stop-gap striker, both of whom have been ruled out from the start of the campaign.

Grayson will muddle through until Paynter, largely untried in the second tier, is ready to return.

Friendly fire: Wolves' Stephen Ward holds off Leeds' Max Gradel during the 3-1 win for the Yorkshire club

He said: ‘Billy is a good acquisition but with him out we’re a little bit short of numbers.

‘Don’t assume I’m not trying to get somebody else in. Even before Billy was injured, I told people our business wasn’t finished. We’re still talking to clubs about players.’

Other than up front, Leeds look better placed to give a good account of themselves this season after Grayson signed Ipswich defender Alex Bruce.